Receptacle emptying machine



J. A. BYINGTON ECEPTACLE EMPTYING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1935 Nov. 15, 193s. 2,136,488`

4 Sheets-Sheet l me/nio@ w n Mz/@iw NOV- 15, 1938 J. A. BYINGTON RECEPTACLE EMPTYING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1935 4 Sheets-sheet 2 Nov. 15, 1938. J. A. BYINGTON 2,136,488

RECEPTACLE EMPTYING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 u. .Il wm M Nov. 15, 1938.

J. A. BYINGTON 2,136,488 RECEPTACLE EMPTYING MACHINE Filed July 22, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheb 4 S11/vento@ Patented Nov. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,136,488 nEcEPTAcLE EMPTYING MACHINE James Augustus Byln'ton, Orlando, Fla.

Application July zz, 1935, serial No. 32,641

' 21 Claims.

The invention relates to receptacle emptying machines and has for its object to provide a machine wherein receptacles may be moved to a dumping position, emptied and then moved from the emptying position.

A further object is to provide a machine particularly adapted for emptying iield boxes brought into packing houses full of fruit, and which boxes arey passed through the machine to an emptying position and are then discharged chine.

A further object is to provide a receptacle emptying machine comprising a frame hinged to one side thereof and adapted to receive a plurality of receptacles in superimposed lled condition on the frame and to be tilted with the frame and conveyed by conveyors on the frame to the opposite side of the machine to a discharge point with their open ends forwardly disposed and means for4 intermittently moving the emptied boxes from the point of discharge laterally and back onto the frame in alined relation, whereby when the frame is again tilted to vertical position the empty receptaclesl will be in vertical stacked relation on the frame so they can be easilyA moved by a hand truck.

A further robject is to provide means whereby when the stack of empty receptacles is removed, the tiltable frame mechanism will be set in tilt the frame to a horiposition and the stack of full receptacles other side of the frame will be fed forwardly towards the point of discharge. Also to provide conveyor means whereby as the leading full receptacle approaches the point of discharge its speed will be accelerated for separating it from the other closely engaged receptacles thereby allowing a lapse of time for the discharge operation, before the following receptacle is moved to a point of discharge.

A further object is to provide means whereby the empty receptacles when forced rearwardly on the tiltable frame will actuate mechanism for moving the tiltable frame to vertical position for the reception of another stack of filled super-A imposed receptacles; said empty receptacles setting mechanism, which, when released, upon the tiltable frame reaching a vertical position, will cause the tiltable frame to move to a horizontal position.

A further object is to provide a machine for handling and emptying leld boxes used in fruit packing plants, for instance whereoranges are treated and packed and means whereby a plurality of field boxes are received in stacked relafrom the mation, preferably from a hand truck and are moved to a point of discharge and then leave the machine after the dumping operation in a superimposed relation so that the hand truck operator can feed stacks of filled boxes and remove stacks of emptied boxes from the machine.

it is hinged upwardly to the plane of the hinged frame onto which the empty receptacles are forced thereby.

With the above and other objects in View the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made withinthe scope of what is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of the machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine, showing the tiltable frame in a'horizontal position in dotted lines. Y

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional View through the differential mechanism and mechanism for controlling the same for stopping and starting various operations.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View through one of the differentials which is of conventional structure.

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view` through the machine, taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1, but showing the frame tilted to the discharge position.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the lower end of the tiltable frame and tripping mechanism carried'thereby on the empty box side showing the means controlled by the empty receptacle for starting a tilting operation upon removal of the empty receptacles.

Figure 8 is a rear elevation of the machine, showing the tiltable frame in a vertical position.

Referring to the drawings, the operation briefly stated involves the placing of a plurality of iilled superimposed eld boxes I on the tiltable frame 2, preferably by a conventional form oi hand truck, and after this operation the same truck is used by the same operator to remove a plurality of empty superimposed field boxes Ia fromthe machine, and which boxes have previously been emptied. The act of removing the empty receptacles sets in motion mechanism which again tilts frame 2 to horizontal position so that the full boxes can be fed through the machine to a discharge point and then stacked as emptied. The above operation continues during the operation of the machine.

The tiltable frame 2 is tiltably mounted on a main frame 3 and also on a shaft 4 extending therethrough and mounted in bearings 5 carried by opposite sides of the main frame 3. The tiltable frame 2, at one side thereof, is provided with outwardly extending arms 5 at its lower end for the reception of the stack of full boxes I as clearly shown in Figure 2. The full box side of the tiltable frame is provided with a plurality of endless belt conveyors 1 which extend over pulleys 3 and 9. The pulleys 9 are mounted on the shaft I0, and also mounted on the shaft I are pulleys II of the idle type, which carry the endless conveyor belts I2, which move at a greater speed than the belts 1 so that receptacles, as they reach the discharge end of the tiltable frame when in horizontal position, will be separated from the group for allowing discharge thereof before the following receptacle is discharged. The endless belts I2 extend over pulleys I3 mounted on the rotatable shaft I4, and the outer end of the shaft I4 is provided with a small sprocket I5 over which the drive chain I6 extends. The drive chain I6 in turn extends over the large sprocket I1 carried by the shaft Ill, therefore it will be seen that the speed of operation of the conveyor belts I2 will be increased. Mounted on the shaft I0 is sprocket I8, and extending over the sprocket I8 and a sprocket I9, carried by the shaft 4 is a sprocket chain 20, therefore it will be seen that when the shaft 4 is rotated, the conveyors 1 and I2 will be operated. The mechanism is driven from the main drive shaft 20, see Figure l, from a pulley 2I, which may get its source of power from any point. The main drive shaft 20 is constantly driven however it is provided with a conventional form of differential mechanism 22, the casing 23 of which is adapted to be held at predetermined periods against rotation so that there will be a positive drive to the portion 24 of the main drive shaft. Slidably mounted on the portion 24 of the drive shaft is a friction disc 25 controlled by a conventional form of lever 25, and which friction disc engages a friction drive disc 21, and is adapted to be positioned at various positions in relation to the axis of the disc 21 for varying the speed of operation of the endless conveyors 1 and I2. Variable speed disc 21 is carried by a shaft 23, which in turn drives a countershaft 29 in parallel relation to the shaft 4 through the medium of the bevel gears 30, and mounted on the outer end of the shaft 29 is a sprocket 3l which drives the shaft 4 through the medium of a sprocket chain 32, which extends over a sprocket 33 carried by the shaft 4, therefore it will be seen that drive means is provided from the main drive shaft 20 to the conveyor. If so desired the opposite sides of the full box portion of the tiltable frame may be provided with guide members 34 for preventing lateral or transverse displacement of the full receptacle during the tilting operation. The portion 24 of the drive shaft 20, when rotated, rotates'in the direction of arrow a, Figure l.

The empty box side of the tiltable frame 2 is tation and allowing power provided with roller carrying track-ways 35 onto which the empty receptacles are forced after the emptying operation; and when the tiltable frame is in a vertical position as shown in Figures 1 and 7, the lower box Ia rests on a pivoted lever 36, which is pivoted at 31 to the frame 2, and has an arm 38 on which the stack of receptacles, which are empty, rests, thereby forcing the inner end 39 of the lever 36 upwardly against the slidable shaft 40, which is provided with a washer 4I, thereby compressing the coiled spring 42 and bringing the upper end of the shaft 43 into the path of the slidable member 44, which controls mechanism for holding the casing 23 of the differential mechanism 22 for starting the tilting operation of the tiltable frame 2 when the stack of receptacles Ia is removed. The receptacles Ia are the empty ones.

On removal of the stack of empty boxes, the bar 44 is allowed to move outwardly to the left in Figure 5 and such motion is caused by spring 45 acting through link 46 and rock lever 41. The link 46, as well as the spring 45 is connected to an arm 43 carried by the rock shaft 49. One end of the rock shaft 49 is provided with an upwardly extending arm 50, which extends through an aperture 5I in a slidable latch bar 52, preferably mounted in rollers 53, therefore it will be seen that as the rock shaft 49 rocks in the direction of the arrow b, Figure 3, the latch bar 52 will move into one of the recesses 54 in the differential casing 23a, thereby holding the same against roto pass from the main drive shaft 20 and the auxiliary shaft 55 constantly driven therefrom through the pulleys 56 and belt 51, to through the differential 22a to the shaft 58 and crank arm 59 carried thereby. The crank arm 59 is provided with a link connection 60 with the tiltable frame 2 and is connected to the tiltable frame at 6I at a point below the pivotal point thereof. From this it will be seen that as the empty receptacles are removed from the tiltable frame, while the frame is in a vertical position, the tiltable frame will be again tilted to a horizontal position for moving the full receptacles I to the point of discharge.

As the tiltable frame 2 moves downwardly the plate 62 carried by the forward end thereof engages the spring pressed plunger member 63 and forces the same 'downwardly against the action of the coiled spring 64 surrounding the same and interposed between the pin 65 carried by the plunger member and the ear 66 carried by the bar 51. The lower end of the bar is pivotally connected at 68 to the arm 69 carried by the rock shaft 49 and when the arm 69 is forced downwardly and the rock shaft 49 rocked the latch bar 52 is shifted so that its end will engage in one of the recesses of the differential casing 23 and hold the same against rotation, thereby allowing the main drive shaft to impart rotation to the shaft 24 and operate the conveyors 1 and I2 for moving the full receptacles forwardly for dumping purposes. It will be noted that during the tilting of the tiltable frame the receptacles I are turned on their sides and that the continued operation of the conveyors 1 and I2 will advance the receptacles towards the inclined discharge board 1I for discharge purposes. The endless conveyors I2 will rotate faster than the conveyors 1, consequently the leading receptacle will be separated from the group of receptacles for discharge purposes, thereby allowing a moment for the receptacles to clear and preventing the piling of the same.

in Figure 2, the empty The pivoted bar 61 is normally forced in` the direction of the arrow c by the coiled springs@ connected thereto and to the supporting bracket; 18. As the shaft 24 rotates during this operation in the direction of the arrow a, the gear 14 cari ried thereby will rotate the shaft 15 through the medium of the gear 16 which meshes with the gear 14, however this operation will not extend beyond the differential casing 11 until said casing is held against rotation so as to impart rotation to` the shaft 18. v

As the receptacles are discharged onto the inclined discharge board 1|, their open ends will engage the side of the endless conveyor 19 and the receptacles will be transmitted transversely towards the hinged conveyor 80, which is hingedly mounted on a shaft 94 carried by supporting brackets 82. It will be noted that the inclined discharge board 1| is disposed above the upper side of the hinged conveyor 80, therefore the transversely moving receptacle will clear the adjacent side of the hinged conveyor 00. To insure the receptacles clearing the outer side of the hinged conveyor B0, a board 83 is provided which lis hingedly mounted by means of hinges 84 to the inner frame side of the hinged conveyor. Extending upwardly from the bottom of the main `frame is an arm 85 which engages the free end of the hingedy board 83 when the conveyor 80 is in down position and raises the same so that the receptacles will pass over the outer side of the conveyor 80, after the emptying operation. This board raising operation only takes place when the hinged conveyor 80 is inits lowered position, as clearly shown in Figure 6. As each receptacle is properly positioned on the hinged conveyor 80, it is forced into engagement with the upwardly extending arm 86, the Alowerend of which is hingedly connected at 81 to the frame. This action is accomplished by the continued en' gagement of the receptacle with the transverse chain conveyor 19. As the arm 86 is forced outwardly, the arm 88 is rocked upwardly in the direction of the' arrow, thereby imparting a pull on a connecting rod 89, which is in turn connected to the bell crank lever 90 adjacent the differential ycasing 11, and when the arm 9| of the bell crank lever engages and holds the casing 11 against rotation, the shaft 15 will rotate the shaft 18 and the conveyor 80 will be operated through its belt and pulley connection 92 and 93 with the operating shaft 94 of the conveyor 80, therefore it will be seen that there is an intermittent operation of the hinged conveyor 60 as empty boxes are intermittently transferred thereto. As the shaft 18 rotates, the arm 95 carried thereby also rotates and the free end of the hinged conveyor 80 is forced upwardly through the medium of the connecting rod 96 connected to the arm 95 and to the shaft 91 carried by the outer end of the hinged conveyor; the pivoting taking place on the axis of the shaft 94.

As the hinged conveyor 80 is ,intermittently forced upwardly to the dotted line position shown receptacles la are raised to a position where they will be fed onto the emptyreceptacle side of the hinged frame and as these empty receptacles are forced rearwardly onto the hinged frame which is in a horizontal position, they will eventually engage the pivoted lever 98 when the full quantity of empty receptacles are forced thereon and will rock 'the same downwardly on its pivotal point 99, which will force the arm thereof towards the discharge point of the receptacles, thereby imparting a push onlthe connecting. rod 0|, and which action will cause the plunger rod 63 the rod 0| to be forced forwardly against the action of the spring 12 until the plunger rod 63 is. received in the aperture |02 of the plate 62 carried by the hinged frame 2. This action will allow the contractible spring 45 to rock the rock shaft 49h, Figure 3, yand to force the arm 69 upwardly, thereby throwing the latch bar 52 into engagement with the differential casing 23a for rotating theshaft 58, Figure 1, and returning the tiltable frame 2 to a vertical position with its load of empty receptacles. Following this operation it will be noted that the empty receptacles will force downwardly on the arm 38 of the rock lever 36, thereby positioning the pin 43 so that itdu will engage the pushbar 44 and rock the lever 41 to impart a pull on the connecting bar 46 against the action of the coiled spring 45 for returning the latch bar 52 to its neutral posiand at which time all of the mechanism is at rest with the exception of the constantly rotated drive shaft 20 and shaft 55. y

After the above operation the operator removes with his truck the stack of empty boxesv la, and when the weight is relieved from the lever 36, the spring 42 forces the pin 43 downwardly out of the path of the slide bar 44, thereby allowing the slide bar to move rearwardly engaged by under the contractible force of the coiled spring for holding the differential casing operating the frame tilting mechanism as previously set forth. 'I'hese operations continue in the cycles set forth uring the operation of the machine.

From the above 1t will be seen that a handling and dumping machine is provided for boxes, particularly field boxes used in the fruit packing industry wherein a plurality of boxes may be intermittently dumped and discharged from the machine. It will also be seen that the operator may place stacks of receptacles in the machine for dumping purposes, and that the empty rewill be discharged in a'stacked relation from the machine, and that the discharged receptacles when removed will control successive cycles of operation of the machine. advantage is obtained by discharging receptacles from a position adjacent where the full receptacles are placed in the machine, thereby facilitating the operation thereof by utilizing the same operator.

Fruit discharged from the receptacles onto the inclined table 1| passes onto a lconventional form of distributing conveyor |05, which is provided with a cushioning member |06 to prevent damage to the fruit. Distributing conveyor |05 is driven through sprocket chain drive connection |01 with any suitable source of power. A similar drive |08 is provided for the transfer conveyor 19.

In operation the parts are normally in the position shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, and at which time the pivotal box carrying frame 2 is in a vertical position, and the operating mechanism is in a neutral position as shown in Figure 3, with its latch bar 52 out of engagement with the clutch casings 23a and 23. The shafts 20 and are continuously rotated fro-m the source of power. It is to be assumed that a 'stack of empty receptacles la are in position on side of the tiltable frame 2, and are to be rethe discharge moved by the operator. The operator places a stack of full receptacles I in position on the tiltable frame 2 as shown in Figure 2. This operation does not start any mechanism. The operator then using his same truck removes the stack of empty receptacles la from the tiltable frame and when he grips the stack of four empty receptacles with his clamp truck and takes them away from the position on the tiltable frame, the arm 38, Figure 7, is released and moved upwardly at its outer end under the expansive action of the spring 42 which forces the slidable shaft 40 downwardly out of the path of the'slidable member 44 which is moved outwardly by the contractible spring action of coiled spring 45 which pulls on the link 46 and through the medium of the pivoted bar 41 forces the slidable member" 44 outwardly. As the spring 45 contracts the shaft 49 is rocked and through the medium of the arm 50, the latch bar 52 is moved to the left, see Figure 3, into one of the recesses 54 of the clutch casing 23a, thereby holding the casing against rotation and through its gear train imparting rotation to the shaft 58 and the arm 59 carried thereby, and which arm imparts a pull on the link connection 60, which has its end pivotally connected at 6| to the tiltable frame 2. As the crank 59 rotates from its position shown in Figure l', the frame 2 will be moved to the horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. During the shifting of the latch bar 52 above set forth the upwardly extending arm 61 was raised by the upward movement of the arm 69 carried by the shaft 49, therefore it will be. seen that when the tiltable frame 2 assumes a horizontal position it will engage the spring pressed shaft 53 and compress the spring 64, which acts to force the member 61 downwardly and rock the shaft 49 in the opposite direction for shifting the slidable latch 52 to the right for stopping the tilting operation at the horizontal and for holding the clutch casing 23 so that power from the shaft 20 will be transmitted to the conveyor operating mechanism through the shaft 24, disc drive 25 and 21, shaft 28, bevel gears 30, shaft 29, sprocket chains 32 and sprocket and sprocket chains extending towards the upper end of the tiltable frame 2, as shown in Figure 2. It will be noted that there is a stepped down drive connection between the conveyor 1 and I3 through sprockets |8, l1. and l5 and the sprocket chain I6 for accelerating and separating the leading receptacles as they approach the point of discharge of the fruit. It will be noted that during the loading and unloading of the receptacles that the conveyor mechanism on the tiltable frame, as well as the conveyor 89 is not in operation, and that they do not start to operate until the tiltable frame with its load of full receptacles, and without empty receptacles thereon, assume a horizontal position as shown in Figure 5.

Through the correct speeding of the conveyors 1, I3, 19 and 89, the full receptacles in group form as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 2 in dotted lines, are moved forwardly and the conveyor l2, which operates at a higher rate of speed than the conveyor 1 will quickly advance and separate the leading receptacle from the group for discharge purposes, and by the timing of the various conveyors above referredto, the receptacles as emptied are fed to the discharge point, dumped and moved transversely on the inclined table 1| to a position over the hinged conveyor which hinges upwardly under the receptacle and discharges the same onto the trackway 35. When 80 is in down position, as hinged member 83 is forced upwardly so that the transversely moved empty receptacle will clear the outer side of the conveyor B0. The receptacle then engages a starting lever 86, Figure 6, rocks the same, imparting a pull on the rod 89, rocking -a bell crank lever and forcing the same into cooperative the hinged conveyor shown in Figure 6, a

engagement with the differential 1 1, thereby holding the same and allowing power from the shaft 24 to be transmitted to the hinged conveyor 80 through gears 14 and 16, shaft 15, clutch 11, shaft 18 and pulleys 9| and 93, and around which the endless belt 92 extends. The free end of the hinged conveyor 80 is raised during the rotation of the shaft 18 by the crank arm 95 and the connecting rod 96. All of these parts are timed for the transfer operation, and the parts shown in the drawings are very nearly to proportions. 1t will be noted that the pulley 93 is relatively large in relation to the pulley 9|. One revolution of the shaft 18, carrying the pulley 93 operates the endless conveyor 80 sufficiently to discharge one empty receptacle onto the trackways 35 and the conveyor 80 is stopped in its lower position ready to receive the next empty receptacle.

The empty receptacles are intermittently dumped, transversely conveyed by the conveyor 19 and transferred onto the trac-kways 35. When the third receptacle of the four empties is placed on then trackway 35 of the tiltable frame, it pushes the first receptacle along to the point where it is ready to engage the pivoted lever 98 as clearly shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, and when the fourth or last receptacle is placed upon the empty receptacle trackway 35, it pushes the first receptacle quickly into engagement with the pivoted lever- 98, which is connected to the engaging mechanism that operates between the full receptacle conveyor clutch casing 23a and comprises a rod |0|, see Figure 3, which pushes the shaft 63 and its lever 61 to a position where the shaft 63 will pass upwardly through the aperture |02, thereby allowing the contractible spring 45 to shift the latch bar 52 into one of the recesses 54 of the clutch casing 23a, and then allowing power to be transmitted to the shaft 58 for rotating the crank arm 59 and imparting a pull on the rod 60 for returning the tiltabie frame to vertical position with the stack of empties resting on the end 38 of the lever 36, thereby pushing the shaft 40 upwardly into the path of the push rod 44 for imparting a pull on the connecting rod 46 and shifting the latch bar 52 to neutral position as shown in Figure 3 and stopping the return operation. Future operations of the device continue, and it will be seen it is only necessary for the operator to continue placing stacks of full' receptacles on one side of the tiltabie frame 2 when in a vertical position and then remove the stacks of empty receptacles from the other side, which removing operation starts the automatic operation of the machine throughout.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A receptacle dumping machine comprising a main frame, a tiltable frame carried by the main frame, conveyor means carried by the tiltable frame, an inclined dumping board at the discharge side of the main frame and onto which full receptacles are discharged from the tiltable frame, an empty receptacle conveying means carried by the tiltable frame and over which empty receptacles move rearwardly, a hinged conveyor adjacent the intake end of the empty recles for returning the ceptacle conveyor and onto which empty receptacles are discharged from the discharge board, conveyor means cooperating with the receptacles for transferring the same to the hinged conveyor, means cooperating with the empty receptacles, including ,controlling mechanism responsive to the movement of said empty receptahinged frame to a vertical position and. means controlled by the empty receptacle on the tiltable frame whereby when the empty receptacles are removed from the tiltable frame saidA tiltable lframe will again move to a horizontal position and means controlled by said tiltable frame when it approaches horizontal position, for operating conveyors on.the tiltable frame.

2. A receptacle dumping machine comprising a main frame, a tiltable frame movable from a vertical to a horizontal position and carried by the main frame, two endless conveyors carried by the tiltable frame, means for supporting a plurality 'of superimposed full receptacles on the tiltable frame with their open ends upwardly disposed, drive means for the two conveyors whereby the conveyor at the discharge end of the tiltable frame willoperate at a higher rate of speed than the other conveyor, means for supporting a plurality of empty receptacles on the tiltable frame to the side of the full receptacles, a drive shaft constantly rotated, mechanism controlled bythe removal of empty receptacles from the machine whereby the tiltable frame will be automatically tilted to a horizontal position through driving connections with the constantly rotated drive shaft, means controlled by the tiltable frame when it reaches a horizontal position for stopping the tilting action and placing the conveyors of the tiltable frame in driving connection with the drive emptied receptaclesto one side of the tiltable frame in alined relation, means for lifting the receptacles to alined relation after they are emptied, said means comprising a hinged conveyor, means whereby receptacles on the hinged conveyor will control mechanism for lifting the conveyor and for operating the same, means controlled by the empty receptacles for causing the tiltable frame to be moved to a vertical position under the iniiuence of the drive shaft.

3. The combination with a receptacle dumping machine comprising a frame, a tiltable receptacle receiving frame carried thereby and adapted to receive full and empty receptacles, of means tiltable frame will be moved to a horizontal position and the full receptacles emptied and laterally transferred to positions to the sides of the full receptaclesl on the frame and means controlled by the removal of the empty receptacles from the tiltable frame whereby said tiltable frame will be again returned to its normal position for a following operation.

4. A receptacle handling and dumping apparatus comprising a main frame, a tiltable conveyor frame hingedly mounted in the main frame and positioned whereby its free end when in substantially a horizontal position is adjacent a point of discharge, conveyors carried by the conveyor frame, the conveyor adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor frame being operated at a speed greater than the speed of the other conveyor means carried by the conveyor frame.

5. The combination with a receptacle handling and discharging apparatus comprising a frame, a tiltable ,conveyor frame within the frame and having a plurality of receptacle conveyors thereshaft, means for transferring in, the receptacle conveyor adjacent the discharge end of the tiltable conveyorframe being provided with means whereby it will operate at a greater speed than the other conveyor means carried by the tiltable conveyor frame.

6. A receptacle handling and dumping machine comprising a tiltable frame whereby superimposed full receptacles are tilted to a position where their open upper sides are disposed towards one side of the machine inm the direction of a point of discharge with the receptacles engaging each other, a conveyerrcarried by the frame for moving the receptacles towards the point of discharge and a faster conveyer carried by the frame for increasing the speed of the leading receptacle and separating the leading receptacle from the group of receptacles as it approaches the point of discharge.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 including a conveyor whereby the emptied receptacles are successively moved transversely from the point of discharge at a speed greater than the receptacle delivery to the point of discharge and discharged from the machine.

8. A device as set forth in claim 6 including cooperating conveyors whereby empty receptacles are successively removed from the point of discharge and discharged from the machine in superimposed relation.

9. A device as set forth in claim 3 including an inclined discharge table into which the receptacles are discharged and a transversely movable conveyor cooperating with said receptacle for holding the same on the inclinedtable so that the contents thereof will discharge from the receptacle as it is laterally moved by gravity.

10. A device as set forth in claim 3 including an inclined table at the end of the conveyor means and on which the receptacles are discharged with their open ends downwardly disposed, transverse conveyor means adjacent the inclined table, said conveyor means cooperating with the receptacles on the table for moving the same transversely out of the path of the following receptacles.

11. The combination with a receptacle handling and dumping machine comprising a frame having a conveyor frame hingedly mountable thereon for tiltably moving superimposed receptacles from substantially vertical position to substantially horizontal position and conveying said receptacles with their open sides towards a point of discharge, of means carried by said tiltable conveyor frame and onto which empty receptacles are intermittently discharged, said means com-- prising an empty receptacle conveyor and means actuated by the empty receptacles for actuating mechanism for returning the vertical position.

12. A device as set forth in claim 11 including means actuated by the removal of empty receptacles from the tiltable conveyor frame for actuating mechanism for returning the tiltable conveyor frame to discharge position.

13. A device as set forth in claim 11 including a downwardly inclined discharge table between the tiltable conveyor frame and the empty receptacle conveyor means and conveyor means for transferring empty receptacles from the point of discharge to the empty receptacleconveying' means.

14. A receptacle handling and discharging aptiltable frame to a paratus comprising a frame, a tiltable conveyor tion where its discharge end will be disposed adjacent a point of discharge, conveyors carried by the conveyor frame, said conveyors comprising means whereby the conveyor adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor frame moves at a greater speed than the other portion of the conveyor, inclined supporting means whereby the open end of a receptacle will be downwardly disposed When the receptacle is discharged from the conveyor frame, means for removing the empty receptacles from the point of discharge and means controlled by the receptacle after the discharge operation for returning the tiltable conveyor frame to initial position for receiving receptacles to be emptied.

15. A receptacle handling and discharging apparatus comprising a frame, a tiltable conveyor frame within the frame, means for receiving receptacles on the tiltable conveyor frame, means for tilting the tiltable conveyor frame to a position where its discharge end will be disposed adjacent a point of discharge, conveyors carried by the conveyor frame, a receptacle support whereby the open end of a receptacle will be downwardly disposed when the receptacle is discharged from the conveyor frame, means for removing the empty receptacle from the point of discharge and means controlled by the empty receptacles after the discharge operation for returning the tiltable conveyor frame to initial position for receiving receptacles to be emptied.

16. The combination with a receptacle handling and discharging apparatus comprising a frame, a tiltable frame carried by the frame, conveyor means carried by the tiltable frame for conveying full receptacles to a point of discharge, means for transferring empty receptacles to an empty receptacle position on the tiltable frame, means controlled by the empty receptacle for moving the tiltable frame to a vertical position and means controlled by the removal of the empty receptacle from the tiltable frame for tilting the tiltable frame.

1'7. A receptacle handling and discharging apparatus comprising a frame, a tiltable conveyor frame carried thereby, said conveyor frame having a full receptacle conveyor portion and an empty receptacle conveyor portion to one side thereof, means for conveying full receptacles to a point of discharge and transferring the same to the empty receptacle portion of the tiltable frame, means controlled by the empty receptacles on the empty receptacle portion of the tiltable frame for moving the tiltable trame to loading position and means controlled by the removal oi the empty receptacles from the tiltable frame for tilting the tiltable frame.

18. A receptacle handling and discharging apparatus comprising a stationary frame, a tiltable frame carried thereby, said tiltable frame having a full receptacle conveyor portion and an empty receptacle conveyor portion to one side thereof, means for conveying full receptacles to a discharge position adjacent the discharge end of the tiltable frame, means for moving empty receptacles transversely to a position in alinement with the empty receptacle portion of the tiltable frame, intermittently operated conveyor means for moving the empty receptacles onto the empty receptacle portion of the tiltable frame in alined relation, means controlled by the empty receptacles when forced onto the tiltable frame for tilting the frame to initial position, means controlled by the empty receptacles on the tiltable frame for stopping the last named mechanism and means controlled by the removal of the empty receptacles from the tiltable frame for again tilting the tiltable frame to discharge position.

19. A device as set forth in claim 18 including means controlled by the empty receptacles for stopping and starting the conveyor means discharging said receptacles onto the empty receptacle portion of the tiltable frame.

20. A device as set forth in claim 1 including an upwardly movable member carried by a hinged conveyor and within the lines thereof when the hinged conveyor is in raised position and means cooperating with the upwardly extending member when the hinged conveyor is in lower position for forcing the same above the hinged conveyor whereby it will guide receptacles onto the hinged conveyor for supporting the same until the hinged conveyor moves upwardly.

21. A device as set forth in claim 1 comprising a hinged member carried by the hinged conveyor and means cooperating with said hinged member whereby it will be above the lines of the conveyor when the hinged conveyor is in lowered position and to receive empty receptacles thereon until the hinged conveyor moves upwardly.

JAMES AUGUSTUS BYINGTON. 

